Voice of a Flower
by Miss Soupy
Summary: [oneshot]Winry is a florist and Roy needs her help to find the perfect flower for the one he loves. AU RoyWinry


A/N: Just a cute little something I thought up in honor of Valentines Day. Mainly just supposed to be cute and fluffy, hopefully I managed that.

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA

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Voice of a Flower 

He had passed the flower shop ever day for years now, but he had never really gone in before. He would pass once in the morning, on his way to work, once as he headed downtown for lunch, and then a third time when he headed home. That morning, as he had passed by, she waved a friendly greeting, as she normally did, seeing as how she had gotten quite familiar with the man after years spent in this routine, and he of course returned the greeting. But this time, he had hesitated for a moment in front of the large display window he saw her from. However, at the same moment a customer entered the shop, and Winry went about helping them instead of watching a man through her window. It would be a very busy day for her, for it was Valentines Day, and she really didn't have time to stand about anyways. He would understand.

The rest of the morning went by quickly for Winry. Filling orders, making arrangements, watering the plants to keep them fresh, helping the clueless customers that had no idea what exactly their significant other would like, the list went on and on.

When one particularly shy teenager left with his pink carnations, Winry finally let out a tired sigh. Maybe now she could actually take a break. Her hopes were shattered however when the bell above the door tinkled, signaling yet another customer. A vein throbbed impatiently against her forehead, but she covered it with a cheery smile. Turning, Winry was surprised to see none other than her friendly passerby. He wore his usual work suit and over coat, and his very business like hat planted firmly on his head. His dark eyes scanned the flower shop for a second, as if he was really seeing it for the first time. This, of course, was partly true, since he had never actually been inside, but merely looked in from the sidewalk.

"Welcome to Rockbell Arrangements, Mr. Mustang." Winry greeted warmly before adding humorously, "It's about time you found your way in here." She did actually have more contact with him than a daily greeting. Many times his shift ended the same time the shop closed, and they would walk together on their way home. Of course, any occurrence like this was accidental, not initiated. They were mere acquaintances, perhaps borderline friends, but that was it. Besides, walking the streets alone at night wasn't very fun, and neither minded the company.

Roy smirked at the smart remark the young girl had given him. Shrugging, he replied in kind, "I didn't have any reason to go into a flower shop. That is until now."

Direct as usual, Winry noted as she regarded him with one thin eyebrow cocked. "Then what brings you here now? Is there anything I can help you with?" If he could be all business, than she could be too.

Roy's smirk deepened. "Given what day it is and that fact that this _is_ a flower shop, obviously I'd like to purchase some flowers."

Winry's face reddened at his little jab, and her vein twitched a bit more forcefully this time. "Of course," she said shortly, her blue eyes blazed faintly.

Now Roy was a smart man and knew how to push people's buttons fairly effectively. But he also knew what was far and what was too far, and he was standing precariously on the edge of going too far, which wasn't what he had wanted. It was time for him to switch tactics if he would survive this encounter with the fiery blond.

Scratching the back of his head, his expression turned from a smirk to a look of embarrassment. "The problem is, I'm not sure exactly what kind of flowers to get. I'm not very familiar with this subject," he admitted truthfully.

As fast as it had come on, Winry's annoyance faded and it was replaced with a look of determination. The blond prided herself at being good at what she did, and never let a customer down. She could figure out the perfect arrangement for each person who walked through her door, and Roy Mustang would be no different.

Walking out from behind her counter, Winry beckoned him to follow as she showed him to various flowers, all the while describing each one she came to.

"And here's a daisy. See, it comes in a few different colors and sizes, and it represents innocence. It's a very sweet flower…" Winry explained as Roy examined a pink daisy with thoughtful look, but to her dismay, put it back. So far, he hadn't shown much interest in any of the flowers she had shown him.

"It's a nice flower, but I'm just not sure if it's what I want to get." Roy explained to the frustrated girl.

"Are you _sure_ you have no idea what kind of flowers she might like?" Winry asked, exasperated. How could not one flower catch his interest?

Roy frowned as he looked at the girl. "I told you, I've never really needed to-,"

"I know, I know, but," Winry cut him off, waving her one hand while pinching the bridge of her nose with the other. "But, the least you can tell me is what the girl is like and I can pick out a good flower based on that. Alright?"

Roy sighed and folded his arms. This was not the type of situation he was comfortable with. "Well, I don't know really what I could say."

"Come on. Surely you can tell me what her personality is like. You did go out of your way to actually step in here for once, so she must be important right?" Winry asked with a wide grin.

Roy's face contorted into what Winry thought was a pout but gave in. "She's kind, caring, friendly, all of that but," he paused, fingering nearby orchid in thought. "She's strong, tough. She doesn't just let people push her around, but she hates to see people hurt. I can tell she loves her work, and she is good at it. She's witty and smart," Roy smirked, "One of the few who can actually rival me I suppose. Though, she is strong, she also has a delicate, innocent side, which is truly…beautiful. And when she smiles, you can't help but smile too. It's strange, how one person can affect so many. I guess you could say, for me, she is like an orchid. It symbolizes perfection right?" Roy finished, giving her a questioning glace.

All Winry could do was nod numbly, dazed by the show of raw emotion from this man who barely showed any at all to her. Tears had welled up in the corner of her eyes, and she had a dreamy, yet amazed look on her face, which made Roy feel all the more uncomfortable. Feebly he reached up with a hand and smoothed his hair down as he tried to regain his composure.

"Th-that was beautiful Roy…," Winry said with awe lacing her gentle voice. She couldn't believe how poetic this stiff man just was! Winry felt touched that he could open himself to her like that, but also felt a pang of jealousy. The blond wondered at this. She shouldn't feel this way; it wasn't something a friend would do. And yet, that feeling was there, squeezing at her heart like a vice. She couldn't help but envy the woman he spoke of. His ego might be a bit large, and sometimes he was too stiff, but he was a good man and would make this woman happy she was sure. For how long had she herself wished for a man to say such things about her? _Too long_, she thought with a grimace.

"Er, well, does that help any?" Roy stammered, trying to change the subject back to the real problem.

Winry hastily wiped her eyes and nodded. "Y-yeah sure, that helps." Winry choked out, finally finding her voice. With that, she continued stronger. "It seems that just one type of flower won't represent how you feel. Perhaps an arrangement with a few different types would work. What do you think?"

Scratching his chin in thought, Roy seemed to come to a conclusion and his features relaxed. "I think you are absolutely right. A bit of everything…I believe she'll like that." Winry smiled even as her heart clenched yet again.

She couldn't understand it, why was she feeling this way? Winry pondered on all of this as she went about picking various flowers to be put in the bouquet. She had Roy pick out the colors he liked, and she picked small flowers to surround the larger ones and to compliment them. All the while her mind was divided between her task and the strange feeling welling up inside of her. Roy was being so gentle, different than he had ever been when they had spoken in the past. Dare she say she found herself attracted to him? _That's it_, Winry thought, smiling softly to herself as Roy showed her a pink rose he wanted to add. Somehow she had stepped across the line from acquaintance, to friend, to love. But that didn't matter now. He was a customer, and these flowers were not for her.

Delicately, Winry laid out all of the flowers and began blending them together in a way only a true artist could do. She made sure to be extra careful to make it as beautiful as she could. The orchid became the center piece, the symbol of perfection. Scattered throughout were small light-blue forget-me-nots and violets that Roy picked out. These represented the fact that he would be faithful and never forget her. Miniature cream colored lilies were placed mingling about the forget-me-nots to compliment the blue color. Lily represented purity and innocence, and the fragrance was pleasing. Pink and red roses and pink carnations were placed along the edges to represent love, beauty, and that the person would never be forgotten. Two yellow daisies were added, which meant he would try hard to earn her love. There was also and iris added, which stood for friendship, faith, hope, and wisdom. Lastly, two yellow jonquils were added to signify he wanted this woman to return his affection. Winry wrapped the bouquet in special paper with hearts printed on it and stood back to admire her work.

Finally, the bouquet was complete. Winry looked at it with pride and satisfaction. It was perfect, very colorful and very meaningful and just absolutely gorgeous. Even if this woman didn't appreciate the symbolism, she would surely still find it a breathtaking arrangement. Winry had to admit she felt slightly agitated at the fact that this carefully planned piece of art would go mostly misunderstood, but that couldn't be helped. Who else but a florist would understand that each flower spoke for itself? But that really wasn't her problem, she had done her job.

Roy seemed very pleased by the work she did, and even went as far to compliment her on it. Winry of course said it was no problem and that it was her job, but she was finding it harder and harder to speak with a strong voice. Deciding that the best way to relieve this pain in her heart would be to send the man on his way again, she quickly rang him up and bid him farewell.

Before he was completely out the door however, he turned to say a few parting words. "Thanks a lot for this Winry. I knew you would do the best job in town, and of course you didn't disappoint." He gave her a genuine smile of gratitude which made Winry positively melt.

"Like I said, it's my job." Winry replied with more confidence than she felt. Using her last bit of courage she smiled brightly and said, "I hope she can return all of the love you must have for her."

"So do I." With a final wave Roy left the shop, the bouquet held gently in his arms. Winry watched him till he passed the window and then sighed as the light from her eyes went out and was replaced with sadness. At least someone was going to be happy on Valentines Day, too bad it would never be her.

The rest of the day went on without any complications. Many more customers came in, which was good for Winry because it distracted her from the hurt she felt. After seeing the very last customer out, she finally turned the open sign over to closed. She swept the shop and did a final check on all of her plants before putting on her coat heading out the door. Needless to say she was exhausted from her busy day and she couldn't wait to get home and have a nice soak in the tub.

As she stood on the step locking up, she felt a strange sensation that someone was watching her. Turning, she saw someone standing on opposite sidewalk. Winry's eyes widened as she recognized the person to be none other than Roy. _What was he doing here?_ she wondered to herself. Confusion crossed her face as without a word Roy started towards her, a strange look in his dark eyes.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be-," Winry started, but wasn't able to finish as something fragrant was shoved under her nose. "Huh?" she asked dumbfounded at what she saw. Roy was holding out to her the same bouquet she had made earlier.

"You're late you know. I had to wait out here for you for quite some time, and it's cold!" He said exasperated as if she should have known better.

Winry was still standing there feeling very confused, her thin brows snapped together. "I don't understand." She began, frowning down at the flowers. "Is something wrong with them? Because I closed the shop for the day and-," Roy chuckled, his deep voice resonating deep within his throat causing the girl to shiver slightly with anticipation as he moved closer to her. _What was so darn funny?_

"I couldn't have been wrong about you being smart, could I?" Roy asked with amusement, his eyes dancing. Winry's blue eyes narrowed into a glare at this jab at her intelligence. She opened her mouth to argue but Roy beat her to it. "Now now, I'm just joking. But could you at least take the flowers before my arm falls off?" He asked, indicating his extended arm holding the large bouquet.

Winry hesitated for a second, glancing between Roy and the flowers before obliging and cradling them in her own arms. The sweet scent of the flowers drifted to her nose and she pulled them close to her face to breathe in their perfume. Looking back at the man before her, she anxiously waited for some kind of explanation for his strange actions.

Roy regarded her for a moment in silence, a soft smile spread across his lips. He moved closer yet again, as his hand gently fingered the soft petals of a red rose. Winry could feel her heart quicken in pace, her breaths becoming faster at his closeness.

"It was hard coming up with this plan, but it was worth it. You were worth it." He was so close now his warm breath tickled her cheek as he spoke.

_Plan?_ Suddenly, Winry's eyes widened in realization. "You mean…they were for me the whole time?" Her heart beat even faster now, and a small flame of hope ignited within her, the broken feeling she had felt moments before was gone.

"Beauty, purity, innocence, friendship, faith, wisdom," Roy recited as he touched each flower and gave its meaning. "I can never forget this person, I will be faithful to this person, I will try hard to earn her love, I hope this person can return my love." He looked into her eyes and she saw they shown with the same emotion she had seen before, when had had described the woman they flowers were for. Finally, his hand came to rest on the orchid. "To me, this person is perfect." He went on, his face inches from hers, their noses almost touching. His warm breath was against her face, but his eyes didn't leave her own and Winry felt herself tremble at his gaze, at his proximity. She could feel the sting of tears at the corner of her eyes but ignored them, focusing all of her senses at the man before her. "Winry, you are that person."

His eyes shown with honesty and adoration as he looked at the blond trembling before him. Winry swayed dangerously as these words rang out inside her head. The depth of their meaning was staggering and she no longer felt the strength to support herself. But Roy was there, and he wouldn't let her fall. One strong arm snaked around her waist as his other hand gently held the back of her head. With her free hand, Winry clutched Roy's coat. Careful not to crush the flowers, Roy leaned his head in. His eyes flicked to Winry's lips then back to her blue orbs as if looking for some kind of permission. What he saw in her eyes must have been encouraging because with a brief smirk, he closed the gap and pressed his lips gently against hers. Winry clutched his jacket tighter as she felt warmth spread from where they touched to all corners of her body. The kiss was gentle, and his lips brushed over hers slowly, as if to memorize the feel of her mouth. Winry's eyes flustered briefly then closed, all of her senses focused the sensation of the kiss. Her response was immediate as she added pressure in return, tasting his warm mouth and the way it felt perfect against hers.

When they broke apart in need of air, their faces flushed, all they could do was smile shyly at each other. They didn't want to relinquish all contact however, and Roy still held her, one hand moving to cup her cheek and stroke it gently with a thumb. Winry's tight grip on his coat was loosened. Winry had a hand to her lips, in complete awe at how wonderful his kiss had felt. Roy licked his lips and found he could still taste her.

Roy regained himself first. "Not bad." He said with a smirk, his eyes alight with a strange flame. "But can you keep up?"

This time it was Winry who moved in, a smirk planted on her face to match his own. "Let's see what you've got."

Roy immediately rose to the challenge and the two dove together, more forcefully this time. The sweet scent of flowers wound about them in a fragrant veil, reminding them of what they had promised, and what they had gained: Love.

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yaaay RoyWin! ok, please comment! it motivates me to write more! special thanks to bluepen113 for beta reading 

oh yeah, Happy Valentines Day everyone


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